Pecan, <i>Carya illinoinensis</i>, a New Host Report of Yellowstriped Armyworm, <i>Spodoptera ornithogalli</i> (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Southeastern US

Abstract

Yellowstriped armyworm (YSAW), Spodoptera ornithogalli, is a polyphagous pest that infests various crops, including cotton, cabbage, corn, blackberry, grape, etc. We documented egg clusters, larvae and adults of YSAW in pecan orchards in Georgia. Until now, there have been no reports of YSAW infesting pecan and its suitability as a host. To investigate the survival, development, and reproduction of YSAW on pecan, we used the age-stage, two sex life table. The YSAW successfully completed its lifecycle on pecan with an 82% preadult survival rate. The preadult duration and mean fecundity were 47.84 d and 1212.55 offspring per female. The population parameters, including intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproduction rate (R0), and mean generation time (T) were 0.1184 d−1, 1.1257 d−1, 430.67 offspring/female, and 51.05 d, respectively. This study confirms that pecan, Carya illinoinensis, is a potential host plant of YSAW and perhaps more widespread damage could be observed.

Keywords

• yellowstriped armyworm
• life table
• survival
• reproduction
• pecan